This Boy We Made, Taylor Harris
This Boy We Made, Taylor Harris
List: $19.95 | Sale: $13.97
Club: $9.97

This Boy We Made
A Memoir of Motherhood, Genetics, and Facing the Unknown

Author: Taylor Harris

Narrator: Iesha Nyree

Unabridged: 8 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/11/2022


Synopsis

A Black mother bumps up against the limits of everything she thought she believed—about science and medicine, about motherhood, and about her faith—in search of the truth about her son.One morning, Tophs, Taylor Harris’s round-cheeked, lively twenty-two-month-old, wakes up listless, only lifting his head to gulp down water. She rushes Tophs to the doctor, ignoring the part of herself, trained by years of therapy for generalized anxiety disorder, that tries to whisper that she’s overreacting. But at the hospital, her maternal instincts are confirmed: something is wrong with her boy, and Taylor’s life will never be the same.With every question the doctors answer about Tophs’s increasingly troubling symptoms, more arise, and Taylor dives into the search for a diagnosis. She spends countless hours trying to navigate health and education systems that can be hostile to Black mothers and children; at night she googles, prays, and interrogates her every action.Some days, her sweet, charismatic boy seems just fine; others, he struggles to answer simple questions. A long-awaited appointment with a geneticist ultimately reveals nothing about what’s causing Tophs’s drops in blood sugar, his processing delays—but it does reveal something unexpected about Taylor’s own health. What if her son’s challenges have saved her life?This Boy We Made is a stirring and radiantly written examination of the bond between mother and child, full of hard-won insights about fighting for and finding meaning when nothing goes as expected.

About Taylor Harris

Taylor Harris is a writer, wife, and mom of three who lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. Her work has appeared in TIME, O Quarterly, the Washington Post, Longreads, The Cut, Romper, Parents, McSweeney’s, and other publications.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Sara on October 05, 2021

This is such an unusual book and should appeal to a variety of readers. First of all, she is a Black mother talking about Black lives. Secondly, she is a devote Christian (balanced with a realistic and humorous character). And most importantly she is the mother of a child who is unique--unique becau......more

Goodreads review by Caroline on March 15, 2022

I picked this up last night to read a few pages before turning off the light. I couldn't put it down. I read every word of the acknowledgments (which I NEVER do) because I didn't want to miss anything she had to say. Harris writes with such honesty about topics that we all share. Her section about t......more

Goodreads review by Snem on February 09, 2022

There really is a whole universe of things we don’t know about the human body. Not exactly comforting! I want doctors to know everything and fix it. Fascinating how Toph’s testing led to revelations for others. Also fascinating the role race plays in every interaction they had with doctors, school a......more

Goodreads review by Charlotte on April 30, 2023

One of the most beautiful, real, vulnerable, poetic, and profound books I’ve ever read. How brave it is to tell an unfinished story, and Taylor Harris does it remarkably. And all of the Charlottesville references made this book hit a lot closer to home:’) This is one I won’t soon forget!......more

Goodreads review by Desi on February 15, 2022

Well, that was quite a book. I had been looking forward to reading this since I heard it was coming out, partly because I have read several of Harris’ essays and I knew she was a good writer with a compelling story to tell, and partly because her story inhabits the literal world of Charlottesville I......more


Quotes

“Moving…Wholehearted and captivating.” Bust

“This is a gorgeous, heart-squeezing story of motherhood, family, and faith.” BookRiot

“A medical mystery, love story, parenting memoir, and tale of survival in her stunning debut…A story of acceptance that mesmerizes with its vulnerability.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Touches on the sureties and doubts of motherhood…[and] offers insight into inequities in health care and what it means to strive for social justice.” Library Journal

“The author deploys humor and delight to infuse the narrative with nuance and hope, and…makes the book feel like a conversation with a close friend.” Kirkus Reviews


Awards

  • Ms. Magazine Pick